Heading Machine

ABSTRACT

In a heading machine ( 1 ) including a track chain running gear, a cutter arm ( 3 ) pivotally fixed to a machine frame and comprising rotatably drivable cutting tools ( 4 ), a fresh-air supply for supplying fresh air to the working face, and an exhaust means for evacuating exhaust air and dust from the working face, the heading machine ( 1 ) further comprises at least one anchor drilling and setting device ( 5 ) disposed behind the cutting tools ( 4 ) and at least one working platform ( 11 ) disposed at least partially laterally outside the anchor drilling and setting device ( 5 ), wherein at least one air duct of the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaust means is led through below the at least one working platform ( 11 ) and/or laterally led around the working platform ( 11 ).

The present invention relates to a heading machine including a track chain running gear, a cutter arm pivotally fixed to a machine frame and comprising rotatably drivable cutting tools, a fresh-air supply for supplying fresh air to the working face, and an exhaust means for evacuating exhaust air and dust from the working face.

Machines of this type as have, for instance, become known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,677 are used in underground mining, wherein the ventilation and exhaust device, which is comprised of a fresh-air supply and an exhaust means, serves to keep the working area for the operating personnel as free as possible of the dust caused by the cutting procedure. As can be taken from U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,677, such exhaust devices require increased space in the region behind the cutting tools, said space being, in particular, problematic where relatively low profiles are to be mined with accordingly low-structured heading or mining machines. The use of such heading or mining machines involved the problem that it was impossible with such machines comprising appropriate exhaust devices to secure the roof in the region behind the cutting tools by rock bolts or anchors to be set by an anchor drilling and setting device, since the anchor drilling and setting device would collide with such an exhaust device. When using low-structured heading or mining machines in low profiles, the arrangement of a working platform behind the cutting tool for operating the anchor drilling and setting device, moreover, appears only difficult to realize such that a more compact and, in particular, combined arrangement of an anchor drilling and setting device along with the respective working platform and the exhaust device seems to be necessary to accommodate all desired components.

It is, thus, the object of the present invention to further develop a heading machine of the initially defined kind to the effect that the arrangement of an anchor drilling and setting device with an appropriate platform and an effective exhaust device will be enabled even in case of low-structured heading machines for mining low rock profiles. To solve this object, a heading machine of the initially defined kind according to the invention is further developed to the effect that the heading machine further comprises at least one anchor drilling and setting device disposed behind the cutting tools and at least one working platform disposed at least partially laterally outside the anchor drilling and setting device, and that at least one air duct of the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaust means is led through below the at least one working platform and/or laterally led around the working platform. The arrangement of an additional anchor drilling and setting device, which is disposed behind the cutting tools to realize a low-structured heading machine, allows for the securing of the roof directly behind the cutting area, wherein a working platform is required to enable the appropriate control of the anchor drilling and setting device. Since an anchor drilling and setting device would collide with conventional exhaust devices according to the prior art, it is provided according to the invention that at least one air duct of the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaust means is led through below the working platform such that the space available in the profile, which substantially corresponds to the height of the machine, can be utilized to the optimum level.

In order to optimally utilize the available space and use individual components, wherever possible, for several purposes in an integrated construction of the heading machine, the heading machine according to the invention is advantageously further developed to the effect that an upper duct wall of the at least one air duct forms at least a portion of the working platform. With such an embodiment, no unnecessary sheet metals are consumed to form the walls of the air ducts, but an air duct having a maximum cross section can be realized, whereby the personnel operating the anchor drilling and setting device can directly stand on the duct wall forming the air duct and thus constituting part of the working platform.

Under the already-mentioned constricted space conditions in underground mining and, in particular, when mining low profiles, the use of conventional air conduits is unfavorable, since the latter have more or less circular cross sections, which leave unused relatively much space for forming the fresh-air supply or the exhaust means. The invention is, therefore, advantageously further developed to the effect that the air duct in the portion led through below the working platform or led laterally around the working platform is designed as a connection box profile whose dimension in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central plane of the machine is preferably smaller than in the vertical direction. In this case, the connection box profile connects the front regions facing the working face, of the fresh-air supply, or the exhaust means, to the rear regions, in which, after having passed the anchor drilling and setting device and other components of the machine that require relatively much space, more space will again be available so as to enable the fresh-air supply, or the exhaust means, to be again connected to, for instance, a conventional air conduit. A box profile having a substantially rectangular cross section, in the critical region of the anchor drilling and setting device and the working platform, offers the largest clear cross section possible for the supply and exhaustion, respectively, of air and dust, wherein, in order to delimit the width of the machine, the dimensions of the connection box profile are limited in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central plane of the machine, the dimensions in this direction thus being chosen to be smaller than in the vertical direction.

The anchor drilling and setting device is able to pass through the working platform, part of which is disposed laterally outside the former, in order to enable the same to be suitably dimensioned for the setting of long rock anchors, if, as already mentioned, as low-structured a construction as possible of the heading machine is to be achieved. In order to enable in such a configuration the drilling of bores and accordingly the setting of rock anchors in several planes, the invention is advantageously further developed to the effect that the anchor drilling and setting device is pivotally fixed about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine, and a portion of the air duct, on its side facing the anchor drilling and setting device, comprises a wall that is pivotable and/or displaceable into the interior of the duct. With such a configuration, the air ducts for the fresh-air supply and the exhaustion, respectively, can be placed close to the region of the breakthrough zone of the working platform for the anchor drilling and setting device in order to make available the largest clear cross sections possible for the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaustion, respectively, during the cutting operation. When operating the anchor drilling and setting device outside an exactly vertical direction, the anchor drilling and setting device is able to come into abutment on a wall of the air duct and pivot or shift said wall such that the mobility of the anchor drilling and setting device will not be impaired by the air duct wall.

According to a preferred further development of the present invention, it is provided that the air duct comprises a region adjoining, in the direction of the working face, the portion led through and/or around, which region extends upwardly and widens in terms of width, including a first aspiration and/or outlet opening orientated to the working face, which serves to provide aspiration and/or outlet openings directly facing the working face or cutting area, which are able to supply fresh air in appropriate amounts and efficiently exhaust dust-loaded air, respectively, so that the working area of the operating personnel of the heading machine will be kept substantially free of dust.

The heading machine according to the invention is advantageously further developed to the effect that, on the inner wall of the air duct, a further air duct opens with a second aspiration opening, which is disposed below the first aspiration opening and at a smaller distance from the longitudinal central plane of the machine than the first aspiration opening. Said second aspiration opening thus opens below the plane of the working platform for the anchor drilling and setting device in the region of the floor and is completely led through below the working platform, thus ensuring further optimization of the space available for exhaustion.

As already pointed out above, the space available in the region of the machine end is more abundant, since no anchor drilling and setting devices are provided there. In order to form a transition of the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaust means in this region, the invention is advantageously further developed to the effect that the air duct comprises an obliquely upwardly extending region adjoining the led-through portion in the direction toward the machine end and connected to an exhaust conduit.

In order to ensure the securing of the roof over the entire width of the profile while, at the same time, provide for an effective fresh-air supply and exhaustion, respectively, the heading machine according to the invention is preferably devised such that at least one anchor drilling and setting device including a working platform disposed laterally outside the anchor drilling and setting device is each provided on both sides of the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and an air duct of the fresh-air supply and the exhaust means, respectively, is each led through below the two working platforms. When at least one anchor drilling and setting device is each disposed on both sides of the longitudinal central plane of the machine, it is possible to secure the entire width of the profile on the roof with rock anchors by pivoting the individual anchor drilling and setting devices. At the same time, an air stream flowing in a defined direction can be created by the fresh-air supply or the exhaust means disposed below the respective working platform, said air stream supplying fresh air, on the one hand, and efficiently exhausting dust-loaded air, on the other hand. If the supply of fresh air is accomplished on one side of the heading machine and the exhaustion of the dust-loaded air is provided on the other side, a stream will form due to the already described arrangement of the inlet openings for the air ducts, which stream, in the region of the cutting tools, will flow transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine past the heading machine front end facing the working face, whereby unfavorable turbulences will be largely avoided and a uniform air stream will entrain the dust particles from the cutting area.

If the machine has to be moved, for instance to be used in another gallery, it will be necessary to reduce the width of the machine, which defines the width of the gallery, in order to provide a certain maneuverability. To this end, the heading machine according to the present invention is preferably further developed such that the working platform together with the air duct are arranged to be inwardly displaceable so as to achieve a smaller machine width.

In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail by way of an exemplary embodiment schematically illustrated in the drawing. Therein

FIG. 1 is a side view of a heading machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view on the heading machine according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 depicts a partially sectioned illustration of the air duct guidance according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a heading machine devised for mining in a low profile 2 is denoted by 1. To a machine frame not illustrated in detail, a cutter arm 3 is pivotally fixed, on which rotatably drivable cutting tools, in particular a cutting roll 4, are disposed. Behind the cutting roll 4, an anchor drilling and setting device 5 is each disposed on the base frame of the heading machine 1, laterally outside the longitudinal central plane of the heading machine 1. A ventilation device and/or exhaust device, respectively, can thus not be readily approached to the working face without affecting the functionality of the anchor drilling and setting device 5. From FIGS. 1 and 2, it is apparent that a fresh-air supply including an outlet opening 16 is provided on one side of the heading machine 1, and an exhaust means including an inlet opening 6 is provided on the other side of the heading machine 1. The respective openings 6, 16 are connected, via air ducts described below, to a pipe section 7 extending obliquely upwardly in the direction to the machine end, which pipe section 7 is respectively connected to a fresh-air conduit and an exhaust conduit (not illustrated). In the cutting area, the heading machine 1 comprises a charging table 8 for transporting the cut material to the machine end in a conventional manner. A protective plate denoted by 9 protects the personnel operating the anchor drilling and setting device 5 from falling rock.

In FIG. 2, a working platform 11 is visible, which extends forwardly from the rear entrance region 17 directly to the anchor drilling and setting device 5. This working platform 11, which is associated with the anchor drilling and setting device 5, enables the simple operation of the anchor drilling and setting device 5. In accordance with the invention, the fresh-air supply and the exhaustion of dust-loaded exhaust air take place via ducts that are led through below, or laterally led around, the working platform 11. This will be explained as follows by way of the exhaustion example. The exhaustion initially is effected through an inlet opening 6. Via a funnel-shaped duct portion 18, the aspirated air is conducted downwards to the outer side of the machine, with a connection box profile 13 adjoining the funnel-shaped duct portion 18 to conduct the exhaust air in the region of the working platform 11 toward the rear end of the machine. The connection box profile 13 is adjoined by an upwardly extending pipe section 7, which is connected to an aspiration conduit (not illustrated), via which the exhaust air is conveyed from the haulage road to the outside. The connection box profile 13 in this case is integrated in the working platform 11 in a manner that the exhaust duct leads along the outside of the anchor drilling and setting device 5 without simultaneously affecting the working platform 11 in any manner whatsoever. The connection box profile leads laterally around the working platform, wherein the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is devised such that the upper duct wall of the connection box profile 13 can also be used as a working platform. In other words, this means that the exhaust air is led through below at least a portion of the working platform 11. The outlet opening 16 and the aspiration opening 6 are widened in their mouth regions in order to cover as large a partial region as possible of the machine front. Due to the arrangement of the anchor drilling and setting device 5, such a wide clear width can, however, not be carried through to the rear in a conventional manner such that, one the one hand, the discharge of the air has to occur through air ducts laid sideways and, on the one hand, the air has to be conducted below the working platform(s) 11. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the anchor drilling and setting devices 5 pass through the platforms 11 in the passages denoted by 12 such that a collision of the anchor drilling and setting devices 5 with the connection box profiles 13 may happen at a pivotal movement of the anchor drilling and setting devices about axes extending in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the machine.

As can be taken from FIG. 3, the connection box profile 13, therefore comprises a pivotable or displaceable wall 14 in the region of the anchor drilling and setting devices 5, which wall can be pressed outwards at a contact with an anchor drilling and setting device 5. From FIG. 3, it is further apparent that, departing from a relatively wide inlet opening 6, the air duct is reduced to the dimensions of the connection box profile 13. By 15 is denoted a second aspiration opening, which is disposed in the region of the floor, wherein the air conveyed through such an aspiration or inlet opening 15 is likewise conducted into the connection box profile 13 through a funnel-shaped structure. 

1. A heading machine (1) including a track chain running gear, a cutter arm (3) pivotally fixed to a machine frame and comprising rotatably drivable cutting tools (4), a fresh-air supply for supplying fresh air to the working face, and an exhaust means for evacuating exhaust air and dust from the working face, characterized in that the heading machine (1) further comprises at least one anchor drilling and setting device (5) disposed behind the cutting tools (4) and at least one working platform (11) disposed at least partially laterally outside the anchor drilling and setting device (5), and that at least one air duct of the fresh-air supply and/or the exhaust means is led through below the at least one working platform (11) and/or laterally led around the working platform (11).
 2. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that an upper duct wall of the at least one air duct forms at least a portion of the working platform (11).
 3. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the air duct in the portion led through below the working platform (11) or led laterally around the working platform (11) is designed as a connection box profile (13) whose dimension in a direction transverse to the longitudinal central plane of the machine is preferably smaller than in the vertical direction.
 4. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the anchor drilling and setting device (5) is pivotally fixed about an axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the machine, and a portion of the air duct, on its side facing the anchor drilling and setting device (5), comprises a wall (14) that is pivotable and/or displaceable into the interior of the duct.
 5. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the air duct comprises a region adjoining, in the direction of the working face, the portion led through and/or around, which region extends upwardly and widens in terms of width, including a first aspiration and/or outlet opening (6, 16), which is oriented to the working face.
 6. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, on the inner wall of the air duct, a further air duct opens with a second aspiration opening (15), which is disposed below the first aspiration opening (6) and at a smaller distance from the longitudinal central plane of the machine than the first aspiration opening (6).
 7. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the air duct comprises an obliquely upwardly extending region (7) adjoining the led-through portion in the direction toward the machine end and connected to an exhaust conduit.
 8. A heading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one anchor drilling and setting device (5) including a working platform (11) disposed laterally outside the anchor drilling and setting device (5) is each provided on both sides of the longitudinal central plane of the machine, and an air duct of the fresh-air supply and the exhaust means, respectively, is each led through below the two working platforms (11).
 9. A heading machine according to claims 1, characterized in that the working platform (11) together with the air duct are arranged to be inwardly displaceable so as to achieve a smaller machine width. 